Abdul Mahdi deepens Iraqi crisis

Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, said in a statement on Monday that he would step down from his role as prime minister in the caretaker government and would not carry out most of his official duties, deepening the country's political crisis.

Abdul Mahdi proposed to parliament to call for early elections on December 4th. Abdul Mahdi's statement came a day after members of parliament disagreed with the government of Mohamed Allawi, who later withdrew his candidacy.

Iraqi President Barham Saleh will begin consultations to choose a new candidate to form the government after Allawi's apology, the official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.

However, it could end in a vacuum after Abdul Mahdi announced his intention to leave office.

Abdul Mahdi issued a statement on Sunday, denying reports on social media that he wanted to remain in office, and he said he would announce his intentions on Monday after the deadline for forming the government expired.